Tiffany Says Not in Our Backyard, Next Target Designers Revealed, Black Friday

Hello-Hello and welcome to a Monday!

We begin with a tale about Tiffany; this time it is the story of the luxury retailer’s lawsuit against its landlord in Century City (California).  It seems the jeweler is making it ever-so-clear they do not want fast-fashion merchandiser H&M as a neighbor. (As in H&M that just did the wildly popular ‘Jimmy Choo for H&M’ line, described in this post.)

Apparently Tiffany believes having H&M as a neighbor would be just this side of apocalyptic; the LA Times has more:

“H&M is not a luxury or upscale retailer. H&M is at best characterized as a ‘popular-price’ mass merchandise clothing retailer.”

“The location of the H&M store will cause irreparable injury to Tiffany’s business reputation as a luxury retailer, a reputation that Tiffany has enjoyed and worked hard to maintain for more than a century and a half,” the lawsuit said.”

While understanding a brand’s desire to protect its caché, the story points out that in Pasadena the two stores are almost next door to each other. Other stories on the topic wonder about Tiffany’s efforts to embrace the ‘aspirational shopper,’ those coveting upscale brands while also shopping mass retailers like H&M.

Courtesy Tiffany

Many such consumers are precisely the same customers fond of merchandise displaying a retailer’s logo, something Tiffany has marketed strongly the last several years.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out. We do want to note this is not ‘new news,’ as we are wont to say; the original story broke in September and yours truly keeps forgetting to post it.

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A few more retail notes today, including word on the next two accessories designers for Targèt; the Cynthia Vincent for Target collection will launch at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com from April 18, available through through July 1. Below, several styles from Ms. Vincent’s Fall 09 Collection.

Also, headwear from Eugenia Kim will debut next year, it is going to be the first hat launch in Target’s series of limited-time-only accessories. The Eugenia Kim for Target collection debuts April 18, running through June 20. Below, looks from the 2008 Eugenia Kim line.

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There is also news that Forever 21 has launched its love and beauty cosmetic line.

Courtesy Forever 21 via WWD

Everything in the new line is priced at $10 or less; it all appears to be available online.

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Before delving headfirst into our next topic it is time we are honest with our cherished readers; we do not participate in Black Friday.  It is really not our cup of tea; additionally, we are always blessed by a visit from The Queen Mother for Thanksgiving, precluding any chance to partake of the mayhem. Such a shame. (Cough-cough.)

We still desire to maintain contributions to the PPP (Pocketbook Protection Program), continuing efforts at providing a list of fiscally friendly locales for the upcoming frenzy.

To be fair, there are far too many special markdowns, discounts and promotions to accurately track; we are including those we believe to be of the most interest to our bloggy friends.

Here we go, beginning with Talbots, already offering 20% off merchandise and free shipping; use offer code 020556520 at checkout to receive the discounts.

Martin & Osa will discount all denim (regularly $89.50 – $120) and cashmere to $59 (regularly priced at $130 – $170).

• Brooks Brothers: November 27th and Saturday, November 28th until 12:00 noon each day. Shop Early and receive an additional 15% off your entire purchase; receive an additional 5% when using your MasterCard or your Brooks Brothers Platinum MasterCard

• J. Crew Outlet stores will take an additional 40% off Clearance merchandise before 8am Friday morning; clearly one should check with their local factory store for hours
  • Other discounts at Crew outlets  for the weekend include 30% – 50% off select holiday styles & 30 – 40% off select Crewcuts holiday styles

• Tommy Hilfiger Factory Stores: 40% off the entire store all day on Black Friday (the 27th)
  • There are additional discounts for specific days, including the Wednesday before Thanksgiving; to download coupons providing these markdowns, click here.

• Banana Republic Outlets: 40% Off Any Purchase

• Old Navy stores: Open 12 – 7pm on Thanksgiving Day, & 3am – midnight on Black Friday, too many discounts to list

• Henri Bendel 8-10am Friday:
  • Save 40% on all Cold Weather Knit Hats, Scarves & Gloves
  • Save 40% on Bath & Body Collection
  • Save 25% on Candle Collections, Home Fragrance, Sweet Treats
  • (After 10am these items remain on sale but at 25% off)

• Macys.com continues its Thanksgiving sale with savings of 20% to 50%, ending 11/28.

• Lacoste: 30% off everything in the store

We are still seeking verifiable information on the following stores: Ann Taylor & Ann Taylor Loft, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Polo Ralph Lauren & Polo Ralph Lauren Factory stores, Brooks Brothers Factory stores.

NOTE: Please be sure to note if we are citing discounts at regular stores and factory stores or outlets.  Be sure to let us know if you have information to share on any preptastic shopping opportunities and we’ll pass it along.  If looking for other products, here are some general Black Friday sites:

• Black-Friday.net
• BlackFridayAds
• GottaDeal.com
• BlackFriday2009.com

Savvy shoppers may remember that after all the Black Friday comes Cyber Monday: the day when online retailers offer special deals.  That tradition is alive and well here at The Princess, in fact, we’ll have a little surprise for what we’re calling Pink & Green Monday.

Until next time, do let us know if you

Bazaar Does Twilight, Lilly Car Revealed

Hello-Hello and Happy-Happy Friday!

It is a doubly happy day because we are still enjoying our house guest, and will be off shortly for a little retail therapy.

We begin with a wise move at Talbots in response to a wardrobe choice made by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty

The retailer is stepping up efforts to capitalize on such occasions.

Below, the Double-face Wool Sheath from Talbots. 

Talbots may be taking a cue from J. Crew, very aggressive in exploiting multiple First Family appearances in their apparel and accessories. Brooks Brothers and Hickey Freeman have also used similar marketing techniques when the President is wearing their apparel.

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Yesterday’s Times carried a story about Mickey Mouse, “After Mickey’s Makeover, Less Mr. Nice Guy”

Disney Interactive Studio

According to the story:

“Mickey as he will appear in the video game Epic Mickey. The game, to be released next fall, will show the character’s darker side.”

Ummm… does Mickey need a darker side?

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More Friday Fun for fans of Twilight: New Moon; the December Bazaar showcases stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.

Mark Seliger/Harper's Bazaar

The cover seen above is for the issue to be sold on newsstands; subscribers will receive this cover on their issues.

Mark Seliger/Harper's Bazaar

Fans will appreciate the volume and quality of photos accompanying the lengthy interview with the stars.

Mark Seliger/Harper's Bazaar

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Of course, some real Friday Fun might best be found at South Coast Plaza, where the new Henri Bendel officially opens their new store today. Perhaps Muffy Martini can float down to Orange County and file a first-hand report for all of us at some point in the future!

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And because it is all about fun today, we close with an absolutely fabulous item from launching this week:

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer

Meet the E-Lilly by Lilly Pulitzer and Tomberlin Electric Car.  The news release better describes the vehicle:

“It’s 100% road worthy, charges with any standard 110v household outlet, and travels for over 30 miles on a single charge. The E-Lilly can be customized with just about anything you want…2-seat, 4-seat, golf bag, trunk and more… even a monogram, and will deliver just in time for the holidays!”

If asking the Christmas Fairy for one of these, they start at $12,995. Our reaction to seeing this little treasure? TDF. Completely and totally TDF.

On that happy note, we hope everyone enjoys a bright and beautiful weekend!

Tiffany Makes a Move, Sales & Savings of a Prepalicious Sort

Hello-Hello and Happy Friday dolls, yippee!

It is a simply splendid day here at the Prepatorium, so let’s dive right into things! (The sooner we finish the sooner you-know-who can scoot outside!)

We want to do a quick reminder about the Lilly Pulitzer sale at RueLaLa; things sell out so quickly at these sites it is best to mention it right off the top so anyone interested in adding to their walk-in can head in that direction.

RueLaLa is one of those ‘invite only’ online sale sites that have sprung up recently. If you aren’t yet a member, use the special Princess code to join: go to RueLaLa.com, at the prompt select “Invited by a Member” and then enter this as the email address to get in: VIP@ruelala.com.

Now, Lilly isn’t the only sale at RueLaLa, they are also doing CC Skye.

Both sales end Saturday night.

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Next, word on some interesting moves by upscale retailers, Tiffany & Henri Bendel. Let’s start with the store-we-once-adored,Tiffany. (Surely you remember this dreary tedious episode and yes, of course we continue wallowing in our snit.)

News came late yesterday that Tiffany is buying bankruptcy-challenged Lambertson Truex (see the middle of this post if seeking more details) from Samsonite. This could make perfect sense for both companies, as this story on the WWD site explains:

“Lambertson and Truex will explore the development of a collection of leather accessories for Tiffany & Co.”

Remember our posts last summer about these outstanding totes? (NOTE: We have linked to them as a courtesy but they are no longer available.)

Courtesy Tiffany.com

It makes perfect sense to us; there may well be many more pieces in this color.

As far as Bendel goes, they are going to stop selling clothing and shrink the 5th Avenue flagship store as today’s WWD reports:

“The Fifth Avenue flagship will be reduced in size from three to two selling floors, offering accessories, handbags, jewelry, gifts, beauty and fragrance…”

“There’s lots of iconography, like our [brown and white] stripes…

TRANSLATION: Probably more of this sort of thing.

Now mind you, TP has long been fond of Bendel’s iconic brown and white stripes, along with the Bendel Girl. We just don’t care to see them on our teapot every day, be it by Villeroy and Boch at Bendel or from Target.  So our guess is the company will roll out more logofied merchandise moving forward.

We do want to alert everyone there is a sale on some goods at Bendel, including the Henri Bendel Mini Notebooks. (We confess to a soft spot for these, in previous years they have made a great gift.)

They are fun because of their names: Bliss List, Me, Me, Me, Thin, Rich, and Fabulous, and Worth Waiting For. Previously selling at $25, the notebooks are now $12.50.

Perhaps if we hold hands and sing Kumbaya our fears about raging attacks of Logophobia will prove to be unfounded. What do you think?

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Yesterday’s post talked about what we refer to as something of a ‘preppy trifecta’:significant sales at Brooks Brothers, J. Crew and Polo Ralph Lauren.  We neglected to mention the obvious:

Brooks Brothers Friends and Family event begins Saturday, providing a 30% discount on merchandise, ending Monday, May 11. Use promo code FRIEND79 or FRIEND 81 to receive the discount, or go to BrooksBrothers.com/friends.  By the way, if in need of the code to receive an additional 20% of sale merchandise at J. Crew, use promo code EXTRA20 at checkout.

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In other Sales & Savings news, Target has reduced prices on the Alexander McQueen collection, prices many felt were too high from the outset.

Additionally the always awesome Third Coast Preppy is clearly back in the swing of things after bringing an exquisite new preppy into the world, her list of preppy savings and sales can only be referred to by one word – Prepalicious!

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We also have a few briefs on several stars of that kinda’-sorta’-preppy Gossip Girl, starting with news that actresses Blake Lively and Taylor Momsen both made People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People list.

PHOTOS: People Magazine, WENN

And another star of the hit TV show has landed another magazine cover; Leighton Meester can be seen fronting this month’s issue of Cosmopolitan.

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We close with a Pretty in Pink.

A Princess customer needed token gifts to use as favors at a shower; she ordered 40 of these when she learned the custom key fobs are only $5 each.

Apologies for the shameless self-promotion, we just thought the fobs were such a cute idea and more-than-practical.  (They’re far more vibrant than TP’s photo conveys, Francesco Scavullo we are not.)

On that note, we do hope everyone has a delightful weekend filled with fun and food for the spirit!

Tommy Hilfiger Week, Gossip Girl Windows

Hello-hello… we are enjoying the extended sunshine and warm weather here in the Great Midwest!

Are you on the mailing list for one of Macy’s new Tommy Hilfiger catalogs? In advance of ‘Tommy Week” at Macy’s two million catalogs are going in the mail, presumably those homes where a Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s credit card holder resides. (The same company owns both.) Perhaps they aren’t even going to Bloomies customers, as one won’t be able to purchase the goods shown in the catalog at Bloomies.

That is because pretty soon it is all about Macy’s for the Hilfiger lines. For those who may not remember the news, soon you will not be able to purchase Tommy Hilfiger men’s and women’s apparel at any outlet other than Macy’s, at least that is how TP understands the exclusivity arrangement between those two entities.

Above we show a courtesy photo of a newly remodeled Hilfiger Women’s department at Macy’s. Below left we show the Melinda cable-knit sweater and the Abigail pants; lower right is a Menswear look for which we don’t know the particulars. (Both are courtesy photos via WWD.)

At any rate, perfectly timed to run in tandem with Fashion Week, ‘Tommy Week” starts this Sunday (the 7th) at Macy’s; it is a very big deal for both Macy’s and Tommy Hilfiger. (Which is actually owned by Apax, a Dutch company.)

Some of the festivities include the launch of a Men’s fragrance on Sept. 7, appearances by Tommy Hilfiger himself and special lighting at the State Street Marshall Field’s, it is Field’s dammit store in Chicago and Herald Square Macy’s will project Tommy images on the buildings. Here is more perspective on the brand itself from the VP of Marketing, Avery Baker, via Women’s Wear Daily:

“There’s a new sensibility of what Tommy is all about — preppy, collegiate, lots of plaids, trenchcoats, as well as long dresses and elegant pieces,” Reardon said. “There is more risk-taking with some pieces. The collection has a little bit for everybody, though it’s a little more edgy.”

We are fond of the Fall campaign, shot at Lake Tahoe and using what appears to be a vintage Chris-Craft or Century wooden boat; regular readers have been forced to cope with TP’s continuing love for these incredible relics of another time in previous posts. Back to the Tommy situation, here is a little more from WWD:

“Along with the quality, Apax has been elevating the price points, cutting jobs, bringing some of the licenses in-house and opening large stores in prime locations….”

If you have been inside a Macy’s lately you may have seen one of the 300+ renovated Tommy departments, most of which have been upsized. It will be interesting to see if the exclusive deal for the Hilfiger label will help boost Macy’s sagging sales, especially as a very tough economic climate looms over the critical upcoming fall season, not to mention the holiday season. Here are a few looks from the Fall 2008 runway show:

A reminder, these are from last February’s runway show for the fashions going into stores right now; this year’s Hilfiger show comes during Fashion Week, starting this Friday. A few more, this time Hilfiger’s take on the LBD.

Who goes to this show? Well, last year’s attendees included Anna Wintour, Nicky Hilton, Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and someone named Richie Rich. (Please accept our apologies, TP isn’t clear on that last individual, be they male, female, or anything else.)  

Apparently the Richie Rich person is seated next to Nicky Hilton, above left, whilst Virginia Smith accompanied Anna Wintour to the show last Febuary. Not that it matters, but The Princess is struggling with Ms. Wintour’s fur, as it seems more to be overtaking her face as opposed to framing it, which we presume was its original function in addition to looking smart and providing some warmth. Below, Mr. Hilfiger at the conclusion of the show followed by a photo of him with daughters Elizabeth and Ally Hilfiger.

The topic does remind us, we have never found the origins of this photo of Anna Wintour and Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps, clearly not this past season, but when? Where? An expiring mind is dying to know!

The Princess is invoking the ‘better late than never’ clause of her blogging contract on this next item, the Gossip Girl windows at Henri Bendel story, even if we are almost a week behind the times with it. They were done by Eric Daman, costume designer for the hit show, and made their debut last week at an enormous party inside the store. We don’t know how many scenes have actually been shot at the store as we were a little tardy to the G2 party, so to speak, but evidently Bendel’s is seeing a little spike in business from the added exposure.

Above we see Taylor Momsen, Leighton Meester and Eric Daman at the Bendel’s party. BTW, ShopDiary has an an interesting story on some of the show’s fashions, chatting about pieces from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Ferragamo, and others. It is their image showing a few of the Blair dresses that you see immediately below.  

If you have made it all the way through your summer reading list, you may elect to add a few titles, certainly nothing requiring deep thought, just a couple of ideas providing escapist delights from the realities of summer’s end.

In advance of Fashion Week we though you might enjoy This Year’s Model from model Carol Alt, almost precisely as you would expect from the cover images and the author, although it is our understanding this is not a flattering portrayal of the industry.

'This Year's Model' by Carol Alt

The book was just released last week, and is only about $11 at Amazon, should that tickle your fancy. There is also Candace Bushnell’s “One Fifth Avenue,” now available for pre-orders almost everywhere, including Amazon; it is out September 22. (You know, that Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City Candace Bushnell!) There is also an online interview with Ms. Bushnell at Amazon, should that pique your antennae.

Also, the fabulous Fug Girls have a book out! Definitely not for the weak of heart or those easily offended by salty language, “Go Fug Yourself: the Fug Awards” is already out.

Happy Reading!

Photo Credits:

• Our thanks to Racked for the Bendel’s window pix!
• Tommy Hilfiger Runway Shots: Imaxtree.com
• Tommy Hilfiger Guests: Getty Images

The Return of Bonwit Teller and Not so Goody’s News

Happy Monday to all…hopefully everyone’s time out of the City this weekend was restorative and rewarding.

A few very brief snippets, at least for this early post. First, the fabulous news about the return of Bonwit Teller. At one time this ranked high on the list of the Princess’s favorite retail emporiums, at least of the large, department store variety. As this vintage ad demonstrates (at least if you can see it, and then use your imagination just a bit), Bonwits was a superb outpost of refined elegance and discreet good taste, traits infrequently experienced in today’s retail culture.

Many of us of ‘a certain age’ fondly (yours truly *most* definitely included) recall the look of this fabled logo, as seen in this instance on an old credit card. That was being auctioned on eBay. (That had all of the identifying information out there for the world to see. We did ask Mister Princess to fuzzy up the individual’s name and address. Honestly.) But we do bring it to you as it is our only method of sharing that brilliant logo. We were always just a bit gaga over the Bonwits shopping bags, they were so very pretty.

At any rate, here’s a bit of info from a story that crossed on the Business Wire a few weeks ago:

“The iconic brand helped launch the careers of notable designers such as Henri Bendel and Calvin Klein, and “Bonwit’s” stores and brand-building efforts featured the work of renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Richard Avedon, and Robert Rauschenberg. Bonwit Teller is widely given credit for pioneering the notion of shopping bags-as-advertisements through the use of its “violets” logo, still fondly recalled.

“Bonwit Teller set the standard for the high-end shopping experience for a century,” said Najjar. “I am excited to revitalize Bonwit’s heritage for today’s marketplace. Bonwit once outfitted fashion icons such as Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly – the new Bonwit will evoke that sense of glamour, with a modern twist.”

The initial flagship store in New York should be open by the end of next year with another store in Los Angeles opening shortly after that. Whoo-hoo! This is such happy-happy and hubba-hubba news, it’s even better than the Lilly store opening on Madison!

But in not-so-wonderful news, word today that struggling Goody’s Family Clothing, the Nashville-based chain of 300+ stores, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company plans to close 69 ‘underperforming stores’; Georgia and South Carolina will be hardest hit by the closings.

Apparently the retailer’s Ashley Judd line may not be doing as well as hoped because of its higher price points. Here is a quick pic of an Ashley Judd Silk Blouse in pink, originally priced at $44 it is now about $31; it is also machine washable silk.

Goody’s spent $4 million almost 5 years ago to buy the Duck Head trademark, in part because of its high consumer recognition ratings in the southeast. Above we show Duck Head Jeans Co. Patchwork Plaid Madras Shorts for men. The Princess hopes the company is able to pull out of its slump and promises to keep you updated.

A Princess Note: Some information in the Bonwits post provided by Business Wire and WWD.